Image by The Veil Wedding Photography
Picture this: a small intimate wedding with just your closest friends and family all gathered for your wedding destination soiree. Perhaps you all meet in a charming historic city or a serene beach town to witness such a cherished moment with an unforgettable adventure. Can you imagine it? Doesn’t it sound lovely?
However, the reality is that planning a destination wedding from afar can be a daunting and tasking affair. When you are unfamiliar with an area it can get pretty frustrating and before you know it you’re crying in front of a computer screen overwhelmed by the endless choices. Because not only are there an abundant number of choices but there’s also a risk factor when planning a destination wedding.
Will you accidentally choose the hotel with nice pictures, only to find out it is located in the ghetto when you get there? Will you get scammed by a vendor who promises you a great “deal”? There would be nothing worse than sending in a deposit only to find yourself disappointed with a no show vendor or sketchy location. Yes, a destination wedding can have some challenges. However, not all is lost, one of the greatest tools a destination bride can invest in is hiring a wedding planner. Even if you can’t splurge for a full service planner consider hiring a month of planner- it can be well worth it. By doing this, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of unnecessary stress because they’ll have tons of resources to share with you. For example:
Referrals: They will give you a list of vendors whom have all been vetted. You need a DJ? A Florist? They will have a few ideas for you while working in your budget.
Venue: They will be familiar with the venue so they can tell you what to expect from all points of view- from guests to bride and groom. They can help you create a working layout and inform you on the ins and outs of the venue and outlining areas. I like to create a video for my destination brides of the venue which I text or email to them so that way they can get a 3D perspective.
Timeline: They will help you create an accurate timeline. If there’s any traveling from the ceremony to the reception site they will have a better idea of how long it will actually take. They will go over the details of the day and speak with all your vendors to create a true working timeline.
Setup: A planner will setup your personal items so you don’t have to worry about asking great aunt Elsa to do it. Anyone who is coming to a destination wedding wants to have fun- not be put to work. For the amount of money it will cost them to take part in your destination wedding, I’m sure they’d love to enjoy it.
Ms Gingham says: Valuable advice. It pays to remember that some things are better left to the professionals.
About Valerie Pritt, Fleur de Lis Event Consulting: “The most important thing to me is that my clients look back on their special day and remember how incredible and enjoyable it was for them and their families.”
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